by Vance Hanson
Exfactor and Shared Property, Grade 3 winners around one turn as juveniles
last season, will have an opportunity to show their effectiveness around two
turns as well as legitimize their classic aspirations in Saturday’s Grade 3,
$175,000 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds. The Lecomte, one of six stakes
scheduled during the afternoon in New Orleans, serves as a prep for the Grade 2
Risen Star Stakes on February 25 and the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on April 1.
Exfactor, who sold for a mere $27,000 as a yearling, has more than quintupled
that investment in the span of four starts for owner Jim Stone. After a debut
setback, the gray broke his maiden at Churchill Downs by 4 1/2 lengths, in the
process beating Dullahan, who later captured the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, and
the Grade 3-placed Daddy Nose Best. He concluded his spring campaign with a 2
3/4-length score in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes.
Given a chance to develop over the summer and fall, trainer Bernie Flint
brought the son of Exchange Rate back in the Sugar Bowl Stakes on December 17.
In what proved to be his tightest finish to date, Exfactor gamely held off
Laurie’s Rocket by a nose. The Lecomte, at one mile and 70 yards, will be
Exfactor’s first start beyond six furlongs.
Shared Property, who will have to overcome post 13 on Saturday, won his debut
by four lengths at Ellis Park last July, then successfully handled Polytrack in
the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity over one mile. Favored in the
Breeders’ Futurity next out, the gelding fell way off the pace and managed only
to finish sixth in a field of 13. A veteran of big fields, the son of Scat Daddy
will be saddled by Tom Amoss.
The only others in the field with positive graded experience, Seven Lively
Sins and Mr. Bowling, ran second and third, respectively, in the Grade 3
Iroquois Stakes in late October. The Iroquois marked the end of the season for
Dover Stakes winner Mr. Bowling, while Seven Lively Sins came back to run fourth
in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot.
Zayat Stables will be represented by the entry of Dan and Sheila and Z Dager,
both of whom won maiden races in their respective last starts. Dan and Sheila
won at first asking over Gulfstream’s one-turn mile by 1 1/2 lengths for Todd
Pletcher on December 17, while Z Dager scored in start number two for Steve
Asmussen on December 15 over the Lecomte course and distance. Also entering off
course-and-distance wins are allowance scorers Hammers Terror and Capetown
Devil.
The Oklahoma-bred Ted’s Folly enters on a six-race win streak, including the
lucrative Springboard Mile at Remington Park on December 10. The remainder of
the field, consisting of Adena’s Chance, Alexander Thegreat, Hero of Order and
Chalybeate Springs, appear overmatched on paper.
Only six three-year-old fillies will line up for the female counterpart to
the Lecomte, the $125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes at one mile and 70 yards. The
first significant prep for the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks will have as its
favorite Applauding, who broke the Keeneland track record for six furlongs in
her debut when winning by nine lengths in 1:07 3/5. She was no less impressive
transferring that form to dirt when taking a six-furlong allowance on Fair
Grounds’ main track by six lengths on December 2. The daughter of Congrats races
for Ramona Bass and is trained by Al Stall Jr.
Summer Applause, a course-and-distance allowance winner by seven lengths on
New Year’s Eve, should get a fair amount of support. Grade 3 Tempted Stakes
winner Believe You Can will have to improve off a sixth in the Grade 2
Pocahontas Stakes last out, while Inny Minnie was a last-out second to the
undefeated Now I Know in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess Stakes. The
Mexican-bred stakes winner Yvete Sangalo was third in the Delta Downs Princess
last out, and the field is rounded out by the stakes-placed allowance winner
Always Here Too.